Fall 2022 Search the Scriptures

Preaching the Promised Messiah to Israel

Praise God August Rosado and I had a victorious 51st Gospel outreach during the latter part of June of this year. Our first full day of Gospel ministry in Israel on this outreach was powerful and productive. By the grace of the Lord Jesus, August Rosado and myself were able to pass out six complete Hebrew Bibles to the Jewish people of the southern coastal city of Netanya. The Lord led us to two nearby shopping malls. I will share one of the witnessing encounters here. August and I visited a well-known shopping mall near our hotel where the Lord brought us to share the Messiah Jesus with two young Jewish ladies by the names of Sagit and Shiraz.

These two young Israelis were pleasantly open and receptive to hear about God’s prophetic plan for Israel in direct relationship to the Messiah.

Sagit was thrilled to hear about the detailed prophecies concerning the Jewish Messiah that exclusively point to them being fulfilled in Yeshua of Nazareth. Sagit made the same connection after hearing our witness for Him, once she declared, “Yeshua is the Messiah.” When August and I bought up the fact God is also bringing the Jewish people back to their ancient homeland in fulfillment of prophecies like Isaiah 11:11-12 to hear and accept the Gospel of Messiah right up to the Second Coming (Matthew 10:23), Sagit said she was getting chills all over and showed us her arm to confirm this! After August and I gave Sagit and Shiraz Messianic Gospel tracts with complete Hebrew Bibles, Sagit joyously exclaimed that we made her day. I now recall Psalm 118:24 and rejoice the Lord has made such a day for this!

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Our Gospel ministry in the Galilee was also effective and excellent. On our first day in Tiberias, August and myself gave out four Hebrew Bibles and several Messianic Gospel tracts to four Jewish people in the area. Our first witness of the day occurred when August and I revisited the Big Mall in Tiberias. The Spirit of the Lord led us to a Stematsky book kiosk where we met a contemplative man by the name of Orel who works for the bookstore. As we do every time we witness to Israelis shopping or working in a bookstore in Israel, we are keen to suggest that they sell the Brit Hadashah (New Testament) along with the Tenach (Old Testament) in one bound volume. This should be done in every book store in Israel, we boldly asserted, because the Messiah’s two comings are central to the Jewish Bible. Surprisingly, the young Orel said he could see our point. He told us that when he was boy he read the stories about Yeshua in the Brit Hadashah and enjoyed them thoroughly. Orel was somewhat familiar with the claim Jesus made for Himself in the New Testament. August and I added to that the fact the Tenach has very specific prophecies about this Messiah of which all the First Coming prophecies were exclusively fulfilled by Yeshua of Nazareth. We then proceeded to show Orel seventeen of these major Messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled from a Hebrew pamphlet entitled “The Promised Messiah” we pass out in Israel. Orel was intrigued and said he could see the Messianic connection between both Testaments of of

Sagit

Orel

The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen

“Hear another parable: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to husbandmen and went into a far country. Now when the time of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘they will reverence my son.’ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.’ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen? They said to Him, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and lease his vineyard to other husbandmen who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone shall be broken. But on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder”

Several observations from the Scriptures will indeed testify to the truth of the continual rejection of God’s prophets by Israel throughout the Old Testament period; and will further bolster and amplify the tragic reality of verses 35 and 36 and confirm all too well the repeated history of it. In these two verses, our Lord sorrowfully, with utmost brevity, says that the rejection and maltreatment expressed by the disobedient tenants was shown to all of the householder’s servants. None seem to be excluded. From the biblical account, it is proven that the wicked rulers and people of Israel rejected most, if not all the prophets sent from God, at some point in time. Although space does not permit us to cite all of the examples here, we will, however, highlight certain prophets who played a significant role in trying to bring Israel back to God, but were despised and cast out for their divine mission.

Time and time again in the historical books of the Old Testament, we read the oft-repeated phrase concerning the backslidden condition of Israel’s many kings and rulers, “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.” The Bible lists thirty-three kings of Israel that “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” From King Saul to King Zedekiah, not one king from the northern kingdom of Israel (with the exception of King David) was reputed godly and obedient to the Lord. Josephus the ancient Jewish historian writes of King Manasseh, “He barbarously slew all the righteous men that were among the Hebrews, nor would he

spare the prophets. For he every day slew some of them until Jerusalem was overflowed with blood.” It is a shameful fact that from the time of the prophet and lawgiver Moses to the prophet and forerunner of the Messiah John the Baptist, the prophets, by and large, were spurned and disbelieved by the Jewish nation. God was forsaken and idolatry defiled the land. As noted in this historical/prophetic parable of Christ, it was the tenants who militantly refused to render the fruits to the servants of the householder. Paralleling this, we note that the leaders of the nation of Israel spearheaded the fierce persecution of the prophets. They initiated such and murderously completed it. The leaders of the twelve tribes

had repeatedly challenged and defied Moses’ leadership abilities in the desert journeys. For this God brought stern judgment on them to bring them back under submission to His chosen leader Moses.

Israel rejected the prophet Samuel and chose instead Saul for their king (1Samuel 8). Later, after Saul became eaten up with hatred and envy, he pursued Samuel and David to apprehend and kill them in Rama (1Samuel 19). No Bible reader can forget the sinister and infamous cruelties that Jezebel and Ahab inflicted in trying to snuff out the bold and fiery prophet Elijah, along with the many other prophets already killed by them.

In fleeing for his life, Elijah remorsefully reminded God of the mass carnage sinful and faithless Israel committed against the holy prophets of God. “For the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left. And they seek my life, to take it away” (1Kings 19:10). Elijah would have undoubtedly been added to the long casualty list of slain prophets, if it were not for the divine intervention of the Lord that saved him. Though Elijah was not killed, he is certainly classified as one of the divine Householder’s servant who was “beaten and ill received” by the backslidden leaders of Israel. The respectable prophet Micaiah, contemporary of Elijah, prophesied the stinging truth to King Ahab of Israel. The prophet foretold Ahab’s defeat and overthrow in battle by the King of Syria. In spite of pressure from the apostate rulers and the many false prophets, Micaiah stood true to the Word of the Lord and spoke it fully in bold firmness without hesitancy or reserve. The results led the prophet of God to experience physical abuse and imprisonment at the hands of King Ahab and the host of his flattering, false prophets (1Kings 22).

Zechariah, the Son of Jehoiada, not to be confused with the other prophet Zechariah who wrote the book of Zechariah, was another valorous prophet that testified against the immoralities of Israel and proclaimed the truth of God. For this, he died in a tortuous way by being stoned to death at the commandment of

All that God required in return for His provisional blessings was simple trust and obedience from Israel.

King Joash (2Chronicles 24:20-21). The other Zechariah, son of Berechiah, who penned the book of Zechariah, was also stoned. Our Lord says he was stoned in the outer court of the temple “between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:35). It is to these two prophets that were stoned to death that Christ gives clear corroboration of the servants mentioned in verses 35 and 36 who were stoned by the malicious husbandmen. Jewish tradition also tells us that the great prophet Isaiah was sawed in half with a sword and that the prophet Amos died after being bludgeoned to death with an iron rod by King Uzziah or Amaziah, priest of Bethel. Jeremiah “the weeping prophet” suffered physical beatings, and was put in stocks by Pashur a priest and chief governor of the temple. Several years later, the leaders subjected the prophet to solitary confinement in a miry dungeon (Jeremiah 38:6). This great prophet also suffered utter rejection from his neighbors (Jeremiah 11:19-21); from his own family (Jeremiah 12:6); from the high priests and false prophets (Jeremiah 20:1-2); from his own friends (Jeremiah 20:10); from the general population of Israel (Jeremiah 26:8); and from the king and his top aides (Jeremiah 36-37). There has never been a prophet quite like Jeremiah who so closely and definitely foreshadowed “the man of sorrows, rejected of men, and acquainted with grief.”

God mightily commissioned the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy against the rebellious, stiff-necked nation of Israel. They, in reply, renounced the prophet’s message and fettered him with chains (Ezekiel 3:7, 25). Many other nameless prophets of God faced such similar

fates. From apostate Israel they encountered “trial of cruel mockings and scourging, yes, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder, were tempted, and were slain with the sword” (Hebrews 11:35-36). The Old Testament Canon closed with the book of Malachi. This followed with a period of 400 years of silence from God—this was a judgment of silence and temporary rejection because of the nation’s perpetual backslidings with their persistent refusal to obey God’s Law and accept the prophets He sent them (2Kings 17:13-15). Yet out of all the Old Testament prophets that were rejected were consistently despised and ostracized from the people of Israel, the Lord in infinite patience sent the greatest of the Old Testament prophets—John the Baptist—even as the Lord Jesus confirmed. “For I say to you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (Luke 7:28). John was better than all the Old Testament prophets by virtue of his message and mission to Israel. John came to formally prepare and proclaim to the Jewish nation the soon arrival of the Messiah. He was sent by God the heavenly Householder to precede the coming of Messiah to demand, “fruits worthy of repentance” from the vineyard of Israel. “There was a man sent by God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe” (John 1:6-7).

John’s ministry ended with imprisonment and execution at the hands of Herod Antipas, who was the nominal ruler of Judea under

the greater rule of the Roman Empire. Yes, John the Baptist, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets and forerunner of the Messiah, suffered rejection from the Jewish people of Jesus’ day. He was the last of the divine Householder’s servants turned away by God’s people. The patient householder sent many of his servants to the husbandmen only to have all of them bitterly spurned and shunned. Thus he was left empty handed with no fruit to show from their toiled cultivations. The only natural recourse of action left to take for the householder would be full retaliation. The dictates of the law would have accounted the householder just, if he had chosen to forcefully reclaim the vineyard and punish the tenants from the property temporarily rented out to them. Judging from the irreformable ways of the dishonest tenants, nothing but the swift, unmerciful execution of just retribution was due them. Instead, strange as it may seem, this same householder sent his very own son to receive the fruits tilled by the husbandmen. We may think how could this householder send his son to the murderous tenants that had repeatedly shunned, beat and murdered his servants sent aforetime? Ah, but God’s way are not man’s ways, neither His thoughts, our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Instead of punishing Israel without pardon or remedy for continually rejecting and murdering His prophetic servants, God showed the supreme act of love, mercy and potential pardon toward them when sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Preaching the Promised Messiah to Israel

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the Bible. Sensing Orel’s openness to the Gospel truth, August and I asked him if he would like to read both the Old and New Testaments in Hebrew to further enhance his understanding and enjoyment of Jesus. The moment Orel said, “yes,” we gave him a complete Hebrew study Bible with Messianic study aids much to his visible delight. Orel’s spiritual eyes were opening up to accepting the Word about Yeshua the Messiah revealed from the entirety of God’s Word. Now may this conclude with Orel confessing this Yeshua to be his Lord and God (John 20:28)!

For the first time in almost seven years this ministry returned to the beautiful coastal city of Haifa. We revisited the bustling Grand Kenyon Mall in Haifa, Israel. This place had been a great spiritual fishing hole in the past, this outreach was no different. We ministered to several people there, but our Gospel witnessing encounter with Ruthie stands out most. August Rosado and I met

her in a shop called Yolo, which she told us means “You only live once” in Hebrew. Seizing upon that timely phrase we said that this saying is true but with the caveat that your spirit lives on after death in either heaven or hell (Luke 16:19-31).We reasoned with her that God made us in His image as spiritual beings ( Genesis 1:26-27)—and as spiritual beings our spirits were created immortal even though the earthly body will die. Through the Jewish people God gave the Messiah to the world so Jew and Gentile could trust in Him to have eternal life and go to heaven after death. Amazingly, Ruthie said this was true several times in our Gospel witness to her. The Word of God asks the pertinent question that if a person dies will he or she live again in Job 14:14.We revealed to Ruthie that question has been answered by Yeshua the Messiah in the Brit Hadashah. The resurrection of this Messiah means that ultimately in the end Yeshua conquered death and offers the bliss and glory of heaven the moment we die. He

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Why Did Mark Write His Gospel?

The Gospel of Mark was probably written in the time range of 50 to 68 A.D. The Gospel was composed prior to A.D. 70 before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple as indicated by the comment Jesus made in Mark 13:2. Though the Gospel’s author is not named, the early church unanimously affirmed Mark is the author and that his Gospel was historically based on the eyewitness account of the Apostle Peter—of whom Mark was a ministerial companion. The Gospel of Mark has also been called “the Gospel according to Peter” since so much of its content is based on the testimony of Peter. Justin Martyr, writing about A.D. 150, referred to the Gospel of Mark as “the memoirs of Peter.” The New Testament provides several biographical details about Mark. His full name was John Mark and he was a cousin of Barnabus (Acts 12:25; 15:37, 39). It was at the home of John Mark’s mother Peter went to after the angel set him free from prison (Acts 12:12). Mark accompanied Barnabus and Paul on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:5). But later he got cold feet and left Paul and Barnabus on their way to Perga (Acts 13:13). Paul and Barnabus were to later split up over their disagreement about Mark (Acts 15:37-38). Later in life, Mark matured and became a solid ministry companion of Paul (Colossians 4:10; 2Timothy 4:11).

Mark was also a ministry co-worker with Peter in his missionary travels. Peter called Mark his spiritual son in 1Peter 5:13. Mark’s Gospel presents the Lord Jesus as the suffering Servant of the Lord whose service and sacrifice to God for man is immediate and

unswerving (Mark 10:45). Mark tends to place more emphasis on the actions of Jesus rather than His speeches. In the early part of Mark’s Gospel the frequent use of the word “immediately” with the active Jesus underscores this theme. The Gospel of Mark also emphasizes the humanity of Jesus more frequently perhaps than the other Gospels. The emotions of Jesus are stated frequently by Mark (Mark 1:41; 3:5; 6:34; 8:12; 9:36); his natural limitations in a human body and other details that highlight the humanity of Christ are found throughout this Gospel (Mark 7:3, 34; 10:13-16). The deity of Jesus as God’s Son are also chronicled in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 12:35-37; 14:60-62).

Mark’s primary audience was the Gentiles in the Roman Empire. This is hinted at when Mark translates Aramaic terms for his reading audience (Mark 3:17; 5:41); uses Latin expressions instead of their Greek equivalents (Mark 5:9; 6:27; 12:15, 42; 15:16, 39); and measures of time according to Roman system of keeping time. Mark quotes Old Testament Scripture fewer times than the other three Gospels. He does not mention the birth of Jesus or His genealogies like Matthew and Luke do. Mark’s Gospel immediately starts with the inception of Jesus’ ministry at His baptism in the Jordan River. Mark 10:45 is the key passage in Mark’s Gospel that summarizes the overall theme for its composition. Mark’s inspired portrait of Jesus as the Messianic Servant of the Lord is one to which sinners should look to and trust in—Who came not to be served, but to serve and gave His life as redemptive ransom to save many (Mark 10:45).

ATTENTION READERS: I am on the faculty at Scofield Seminary. I would highly recommend attending and enrolling in these very informative courses for theological learning. The Scofield Biblical Institute and Theological Seminary has been organized around the need to provide sound doctrinally and hermeneutically pure teaching of the Word of God, our Bible. We seek to provide high quality teaching to both the lay community and to those who seek professional development in teaching the Word of God as a career. Look over our classes and contact us to further discuss your objectives and how we may assist you in meeting them through our classes. All of our instructors are well prepared and all have significant seminary training along with genuine realized practical church pastoral experience to enhance your learning experience. Our goal is to provide truth and wisdom, through a thorough understanding of the Word of God. There is no substitute for adequate preparation before sending one out to effectively serve our Lord Jesus in the world that needs His truth. We hold to the idea that the best equipped pastor should also be a theologian. Two passages of Scripture are particularly poignant to identify with the need to properly equip oneself for ministry work.

At Scofield Institute, we teach the literal, grammatical, historical method of biblical interpretation, consistently applied from Genesis through Revelation. Here you will come to know the great God of the universe as He revealed Himself to mankind. Some of our programs are: the The desire to learn

Daniel Woodhead

Preaching the Promised Messiah to Israel

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the truth, and the Life back to God and heaven His dwelling place (John 14:6).

August and I are headed back to Israel, God willing, for the 52 Gospel outreach from October 24 to November 6. Please consider financially supporting this vital end-time ministry to the Chosen People of Israel. God will reward those who participate in this urgently needed ministry of bringing Yeshua back to His people as He regathers Israel for His glorious return. But they don’t have to wait until then! They can know Yeshua now and be saved through our evangelistic efforts. Help us in this Holy Spirit ordained enterprise. To donate online, you can go to the following secure link on our ministry web site: https://www.brit-hadashah. org/wp/donate/

You can also donate by mail to:

August and Ruthie

gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (John 11:25-26). August and I also went over proofs from Messianic prophecy that Yeshua is the true Messiah of Israel and God’s prophetic plan for Israel as it relates to the Messiah revealed in both Testaments of the Bible.

August and I encouraged Ruthie that though we each live one life on earth, God wants us to be in heaven with Him after death; and the only way there is trusting in His Son, who is none other than Jesus the Messiah. She was very happy to accept a copy of God’s Word from us to be the Messianic road map to heaven through the Crucified and Risen Messiah who is the Only Way,

Brit Hadashah Ministries P.O. Box 796127 Dallas, Texas 75379-6127

Brit Hadashah Ministries is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit ministry, so your donation is tax deductible in the United States. Now is the accepted time, today is the day and year for the Gospel of salvation to be preached in Israel (2Corinthians 6:2) Partner with us in this exciting End-Time effort.

Your servant in Messiah Jesus, Dr. Todd Baker

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Having been to the Holy Land over 50 times, I can assure you that Israelis deeply hunger and thirst for the Word of God and appreciate the believers in America who support ministries devoted to bringing the Word of God to the Jews. We need your support to help us continue to take the Gospel to the land from whence it came.

In light of the Last Days’ realities, we appeal to you. We ask for and appreciate any support you can give us during this critical time of need. We need your thoughts,

Make checks and money orders payable to:

B’rit Hadashah Ministries PO Box 796127 Dallas, TX 75379-6127

your prayers, your words and your financial support as the Lord leads your heart. Please consider becoming a monthly partner. As you can read for yourself in the newsletter articles, these worthwhile donations are directly impacting individual lives in Israel. Thank you for supporting this Gospel ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Chosen People in the land of Israel. May He come quickly! Until then, we continue to labor for Him.

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Fall 2022 Issue

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In This Issue

Preaching the Promised Messiah to Israel 1 The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen Part 6 .. 2 What is the Meaning of Repentance 3

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